Here's why the new Spider-Man is the best part of 'Captain America: Civil War'

He’s one of the most beloved Marvel characters, but Spider-Man
has had some rough times of late.

Back when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just a glimmer in
Disney’s eye, Sony was the ruler of the comic-book adaptations
with the release of three Spider-Man movies from 2002-2007.

From the perfect casting of Tobey Maguire as the web slinger to
the steamy chemistry between him and and costar Kirsten Dunst
playing Mary Jane Watson — all watched over by the geeky eye of
director Sam Raimi — the franchise proved a monster moneymaker
for Sony. The three films raked in a combined $2.5 billion worldwide on a $597 million
budget.

Tobey Maguire as
Spider-Man.Sony

But how things have changed for Peter Parker.

The first blow was the lackluster critical reception for
“Spider-Man 3” (2007), which, honestly, was a byproduct of
Maguire and Dunst, and probably Raimi too, burnt out from the
franchise. This led to a fourth movie with the trio attached
being canceled.

Then things got worse when Sony rebooted the franchise in 2012
with Andrew Garfield as Spidey. “The Amazing Spider-Man” and its
sequel two years later found only modest box office (by superhero
standards) and fans weren’t feeling the passion for the character
that the Raimi films had. Future movies with Garfield attached
were scrapped.

Andrew Garfield as
Spider-Man.Sony

Sony, again, went back to the drawing board. And what they pulled
off might go down as one of the biggest moves ever in comic-book
movie history.

Though studios are extremely protective of their properties, Sony
and Disney came to an agreement to allow Spider-Man to join the
MCU, and having Spidey in the mix with the likes of Captain
America, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Panther, and other Avengers in
"Captain America: Civil War." The move has given fans a glimpse
at the future Spider-Man/Peter Parker, and we’re here to tell you
it’s bright.

As seen in the trailer for “Captain America: Civil War” (now in
theaters), Spider-Man swings into action as a member of Team Iron
Man in the movie. But Spidey’s presence is far from a
blink-and-you-missed-it cameo.

In many ways we get the Spider-Man origin story out of the way in
“Civil War,” as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) heads to Queens to
seek out Peter Parker’s help and finds a kid who for the last six
months has been swinging around New York City in a unitard and
goggles assisting people with his new superpowers.

Stark doesn’t just bring him on Team Iron Man; he also upgrades
Parker’s look with the Spider-Man outfit we all know and love.
(This will likely eliminate a lot of the backstory and we can get
to the good stuff when the standalone movie, “Spider-Man:
Homecoming,” opens on July 7, 2017.)

Actor Tom Holland (best known for playing the lead in “Billy
Elliot the Musical”) embodies Parker perfectly — a geeky outsider
whose new powers make him yearn to do great things. And the
19-year-old has the sarcasm of the character down, as he holds
his own opposite fellow smartypants Tony Stark, then as
Spider-Man throws out the funny one-liners while going up against
members of Team Captain America.

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Disney

As much as “Civil War” is a
great superhero movie, the beginning is a little slow, and
it’s when Stark seeks out Parker that you feel the movie really
finds its groove.

Then when Team Captain America and Team Iron Man go head-to-head,
the collision of the superheroes and their different
personalities in the same space is a thrill. But it’s Spider-Man
who stands out best. Mainly that's a result of great action and
dialogue, but partly it’s the joy of finally seeing
Spider-Man done right since the Raimi era.

What’s so unique about Spider-Man is that along with the
superfans of the character, which are many, even if you are just
a casual comic-book fan, you’ve probably encountered your
friendly neighborhood Spider-Man either through cartoons or
movies. So that ingrained knowledge leads to even more enjoyment
when you watch a movie like “Civil War” and may not know every
character featured, but you're up on the guy in the red tights
one way or another.

If “Civil War” is any indication, we are in store for an
enjoyable new era of Spider-Man.